Straw hat



Ndv. 30 3926.v

- 1,609,153 R. A. HOLMES STRAW HAT 'Filgd NOV. 19, 1925 I Y INVENTO fier? ,4 0/7 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. HOLMES, OF PELI-IAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GROFUT & KNAPP COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STRAW HAT.

Application filed November 19, 1925.

The present invention relates to straw braid hats of the type shown and described in the U. S. patent to Philip N. Knapp, No. 1,219,111, dated March 13, 1917, in which the upper part of the crown and the outer part of the brim are stiff, while the lower part of the crown and the inner part of the brim are relatively flexible.

The main object of the present invention to further increase the flexibility of hats of the type referred to by introducing a cloth element between the outer layers of the brim and connecting; said element to the crown so that the hat will at once adapt itself to the shape of the wearers head whilestill retaining the advantages set forth in the specification of the patent above mentioned and will still have the appearance of the ordinary rigid straw hat.

I attain the above and other objects in the improved hat illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which liigure 1 is a perspective view of a completed straw hat embodying one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, with parts broken away, of the hat shown in Figure 1, and,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 2.

In the several figures of the drawings, A. is the brim of the hat, B the top 01'' crown, C the side crown, D the usual hat band and E the sweat band.

Now, according to the present invention, between the brim A. and side crown C of the hat I interpose a piece of felt or other fibrous material F and secure this, as by stitching, to said parts of the hat, thus providinna flexible element which will give to the particular shape of the head of the wearer of the hat and thus furnish an exact and comfortable fit.

The flexible element F is secured to the brim A. in between the layers of straw which are used in the makeup of the brim; for example, where three superimposed layers Serial No. 70,052.

G, H and I are used as in Fig. 2, the cen tral layer H is omitted toward the inner portion of the brim and one edge of the flexible element occupies the space so provided, being secured in place as by stitches J.

Adjacent the base of the side crown. C the flexible element is given a right-angle turn as shown at K and is then continued upwardly for any convenient distance inside the straw side crown C to which it is secured as by stitching L.

The usual sweat band E is then secured. in place on the inside of the element F as by stitching M.

From the above it will be seen that a straw hat is provided having interposed between the brim a flexible element of felt or other fabric which will conform to the shape of. the human head and always be comfortable when in use, and which, at the same time will have the appearance of an ordiinir straw hat, that is to say, said flexible mem ber F is not exposed to view at any point, being covered, as far as the brim is concerned, by the layers of braid G and l, and, as far as the side crown C is concerned, by the strawbraid forming same.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A straw hat comprising a crown, a brim. and a flexible annular cloth member, said brim comprising an intermediate layer and two outer layers of straw braid having their outer edges substantially flush, said intermediate layer being of less width than said outer layers. said cloth member extending; upwardly within the crown and outwardly between the outer layers of the brim, the straw braid of the upper portion of the crown and the outer portion of the bi 1m leing stiff and the straw bra-id of the lower portion of the crown and the inner portion of the brim being relatively flexible.

In testimony whereof I have signedv my name to this specification.

ROBERT A. HOLMES. 

